Edmonton Election: Mayoral candidate Cheryll Watson envisions building a city that works

by Cheryll Watson

(Edmonton) I’m not a politician. I’m not running on a specific project, for a specific party or to further my career aspirations. To be honest, I’m just as tired of all of that as you are. But, I love this city and I know it can be better.

I was born here and grew up on the northside, in Beverly. I’ve raised a family here, worked for local businesses and gone on to become a senior executive at INTUIT, a Fortune 500 global company. I’ve led teams around the world and have built my reputation on delivering results, not making promises. I’ve worked to grow our local economy by partnering with our current Council and City Administration to create our city’s newest economic development agency – Innovate Edmonton.

I understand how to make new ideas a reality and have extensive experience working with the city administration to make that which may seem impossible happen – quickly. And while, as mayor, I am only one vote on council, I am skilled at bringing people together and finding common ground and ways to collaborate with others, whether they are council members, communities or organizations.

I was the first candidate to announce my intentions to run for Mayor and I’ve been at it for over a year. Listening to you. Sharing your vision and your ideas for the city we all love. Edmontonians have helped me build a co-created platform based on three key principles:

Place

Let’s bring back our fierce sense of pride. I will focus on delivering the exceptional core services that directly impact your daily life while continuing to build Edmonton into the world-class city we all know it can be.

Partnerships

As a municipal government, we have a clear mandate but over the years we’ve ventured outside of our role and expanded into areas that not-for-profits, private industry, communities or other orders of government can deliver better. My greatest strength is my ability to collaborate. I will work with Council and City Administration to build consensus and repair our relationship with both the province and the federal government to ensure your tax dollars come back to support our city.

Potential

We are a startup city. More than 90% of our businesses are small and medium enterprises – if you’re reading this, you’re likely connected to one of them. I know you have the ingenuity and agility to solve problems in new ways and you are the job creators of our region. Our future economy depends on you. As Mayor, I’ll do everything I can to ensure the city doesn’t hinder your success. From permitting and licensing to tax rates- we can’t waste any time unlocking our potential.

Here are a few of my commitments to you:

Create a Chief Accountability Officer – Too much time and taxpayer money is wasted exploring ideas that other cities have already researched and implemented. This role will make sure that new initiatives are within our mandate and will perform global scans to advise how other cities have tackled the issue.

Basic Needs – There are many Edmontonians whose basic needs are not being met, including regular access to water and public washrooms. I will not make false promises to make a difference in day to day lives. These simple steps will make communities more inviting for all of us and help us ensure all Edmontonians are treated with dignity

A Safe City for Women and Girls – When you create a safe city for women and girls it’s safe for everyone. Lately, Edmonton has seen a disturbing increase in attacks, especially on women. I will implement the United Nations Women Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces Global initiatives plan. Steps like better lighting and greater security measures on transit and out in the community have been proven to make a difference.

Smart Construction – We can reduce the impact of our construction projects and prioritize local benefit by limiting areas of work, accelerating timelines and extending work hours, and providing construction impact grants to businesses impacted by construction beyond 30 days. We can also make commutes of all kinds more predictable by communicating timelines, detours and benefits — what’s happening and how it is making our city better. Edmonton and its citizens don’t stop moving, even when major roadways and pathways are under construction, so let’s make it easier to get everyone to their destinations.

It’s time for a fresh perspective and a new set of eyes that can see our challenges in a different light. Edmonton needs a leader who will make bold, courageous and sometimes difficult decisions for the greater good. Someone who will catalyze ideas and leverage the strengths of our community to do things better and faster. We are a city of doers, entrepreneurs, and community builders.

Vote Watson on October 18th and together let’s Build A City That Works.

This is a paid post from the Cheryll Watson Campaign.